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your favorite Prince B-side?
Jan. 19th, 2011 07:02 pmRecently I've been falling for Prince all over again, and I want to branch out from The Very Best Of. What unregarded album or track do you especially recommend?
bring back the love
Nov. 28th, 2009 10:46 amLast night I went to see Bebel Gilberto with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mrpet. (I made an "art" exception to Buy Nothing Day, and feel quite good about it.) It was incredibly sweet of mrpet to go with me to see an artist that I liked and he really didn't know much about, in a musical genre is pretty far from his interests.
As usual the start time of the concert was not publicized. Based on my previous experiences with the Paradise (they want people to call it the Dise but I don't think anyone does) I figured we should not leave the house any earlier than when the doors were opening. Doors were at eight, we got there around nine, the show started a little after ten. So that was a good call. It was nice to get there before it got super-crowded.
The show was quite nice. I had never seen Gilberto in concert, and she has great stage presence. She's an impressive performer, with good energy and really graceful movements. She comes by it honestly, as she's the daughter of famous bossa nova singers Joao Gilberto and Wanda Sa. She didn't sing my favorite songs of hers ("Baby" and "August Day Song" and "Tanto Tempo") but she did sing a number from her three previous albums which I was able to recognize - Agaju, So Nice, Bring Back the Love, and others I can't remember the names of. She also did a few songs that I knew because they were bossa nova, not because they were hers - "Bim Bom" and what I think was a Portugese version of "Only Trust Your Heart."
Of course it wasn't a perfect evening. Some people next to us on the floor had a new digital camera, and there were some problems with the sound, but really it was just so much fun. I never got really overwhelmed or discouraged, which for an outing late at night with a big crowd at this time of year for me is pretty miraculous.
After the concert was over, it was raining and there was no train. We decided to walk back to the BU bridge to get to the Red Line. Just then my body started crying out for pizza, so we took takeout slices over the bridge with us. The rain got in my ears and on my pizza, and my hair kept blowing in my mouth, but it was really really fun. It reminded me of my days in the goth scene, feeling silly because you're up so late. We got the very last red line train.
I don't normally go to many concerts, but I had such a good time I am thinking about whether I might like to go see Luciana Souza in Boston in January. I'll have to listen to her new album before I make a decision, though it's hard to imagine it could be better than The New Bossa Nova. (Of course, to be perfectly honest, for me it's hard to imagine that ANY album could be better than The New Bossa Nova.)
mrpet. (I made an "art" exception to Buy Nothing Day, and feel quite good about it.) It was incredibly sweet of mrpet to go with me to see an artist that I liked and he really didn't know much about, in a musical genre is pretty far from his interests.As usual the start time of the concert was not publicized. Based on my previous experiences with the Paradise (they want people to call it the Dise but I don't think anyone does) I figured we should not leave the house any earlier than when the doors were opening. Doors were at eight, we got there around nine, the show started a little after ten. So that was a good call. It was nice to get there before it got super-crowded.
The show was quite nice. I had never seen Gilberto in concert, and she has great stage presence. She's an impressive performer, with good energy and really graceful movements. She comes by it honestly, as she's the daughter of famous bossa nova singers Joao Gilberto and Wanda Sa. She didn't sing my favorite songs of hers ("Baby" and "August Day Song" and "Tanto Tempo") but she did sing a number from her three previous albums which I was able to recognize - Agaju, So Nice, Bring Back the Love, and others I can't remember the names of. She also did a few songs that I knew because they were bossa nova, not because they were hers - "Bim Bom" and what I think was a Portugese version of "Only Trust Your Heart."
Of course it wasn't a perfect evening. Some people next to us on the floor had a new digital camera, and there were some problems with the sound, but really it was just so much fun. I never got really overwhelmed or discouraged, which for an outing late at night with a big crowd at this time of year for me is pretty miraculous.
After the concert was over, it was raining and there was no train. We decided to walk back to the BU bridge to get to the Red Line. Just then my body started crying out for pizza, so we took takeout slices over the bridge with us. The rain got in my ears and on my pizza, and my hair kept blowing in my mouth, but it was really really fun. It reminded me of my days in the goth scene, feeling silly because you're up so late. We got the very last red line train.
I don't normally go to many concerts, but I had such a good time I am thinking about whether I might like to go see Luciana Souza in Boston in January. I'll have to listen to her new album before I make a decision, though it's hard to imagine it could be better than The New Bossa Nova. (Of course, to be perfectly honest, for me it's hard to imagine that ANY album could be better than The New Bossa Nova.)
take this show on the road
Sep. 3rd, 2009 05:32 pm( The History )
Sunday we took our show public on a drive from Hartford to Boston withtrouble4hire and teratomarty. I began the music with the traditional folk song "Wild Rippling Waters," which has a call and response. I thought that would make it easier for those who didn't know the song to join in if they wished. The other two didn't sing with us but they said it sounded nice. Then teratomarty chimed in with a request for "All God's Critters," beloved song of camps and elementary school music teachers everywhere. We did that one all together, and then he led us in the Potato Song. Po-tay-to! I wowed the audience with my passionate rendition of "Old Time Religion." (In other words, when I sang the verse about Loki, Mart laughed so hard he almost drove us off the road.) We concluded with the sweet old Greg Brown song "Rooty Toot Toot for the Moon." trouble4hire requested the song "If I Were a Moose, and You Were a Cow," and I have been studying the lyrics since then in the hopes of offering it to her another time.
It was deeply enjoyable and I hope to pimp outtsuj's and my car-singing skills in exchange for rides in the near future.
What do you love to sing in the car? Tell us!
Sunday we took our show public on a drive from Hartford to Boston with
trouble4hire and teratomarty. I began the music with the traditional folk song "Wild Rippling Waters," which has a call and response. I thought that would make it easier for those who didn't know the song to join in if they wished. The other two didn't sing with us but they said it sounded nice. Then teratomarty chimed in with a request for "All God's Critters," beloved song of camps and elementary school music teachers everywhere. We did that one all together, and then he led us in the Potato Song. Po-tay-to! I wowed the audience with my passionate rendition of "Old Time Religion." (In other words, when I sang the verse about Loki, Mart laughed so hard he almost drove us off the road.) We concluded with the sweet old Greg Brown song "Rooty Toot Toot for the Moon." trouble4hire requested the song "If I Were a Moose, and You Were a Cow," and I have been studying the lyrics since then in the hopes of offering it to her another time. It was deeply enjoyable and I hope to pimp out
tsuj's and my car-singing skills in exchange for rides in the near future.What do you love to sing in the car? Tell us!
Papa's On the Housetop
Apr. 23rd, 2009 12:28 pmYesterday I introduced tsuj to a song I like a lot, "Papa's on the Housetop." However, I warned her that it had a verse she wouldn't like. She is a vegetarian. She carefully didn't really listen but she heard the word "chicken" and she said, "I don't think things are going to turn out well for the chicken!" I agreed that was correct, and told her I liked her so much I would make her a replacement verse.
( The original song lyrics. )
My extra substitute verse:
"Sister's got a girl and brother's got a beau
Papa's got a mistress but Mama don't know
Mama loves a butcher on the other side of town
Papa got a clue, now he won't come down."
I'm thinking about creating an additional one about biscuits, since the original verse had to do with food. But, as we already know, the paths in my brain that lead to sex are many and well-trodden, so that was what I came up with first.
tsuj to a song I like a lot, "Papa's on the Housetop." However, I warned her that it had a verse she wouldn't like. She is a vegetarian. She carefully didn't really listen but she heard the word "chicken" and she said, "I don't think things are going to turn out well for the chicken!" I agreed that was correct, and told her I liked her so much I would make her a replacement verse.( The original song lyrics. )
My extra substitute verse:
"Sister's got a girl and brother's got a beau
Papa's got a mistress but Mama don't know
Mama loves a butcher on the other side of town
Papa got a clue, now he won't come down."
I'm thinking about creating an additional one about biscuits, since the original verse had to do with food. But, as we already know, the paths in my brain that lead to sex are many and well-trodden, so that was what I came up with first.
The Martin Sexton Showdown
Apr. 22nd, 2009 02:14 pmThis afternoon tsuj and I had an intense... discussion about the songs of folk artist Martin Sexton.
She had not heard my favorite - Angeline - and I had not heard hers - Diner. We were unable to come to agreement. So now, my loyal readers, it is up to you. Which song is the best?
( Cut for embedded videos, because personally I hate when you can't figure out where that noise is coming from... )
One has crowd noise, the other has an unrelated TV show as the picture, so I think it evens out.
[Poll #1388167]
Clearly, I'm starting to need an icon for folk music. Anybody? Bueller?
ETA: Also clearly, I forgot to include an important poll option, "Gosh, LadyA, I'm so impressed you posted two embedded videos and a poll in one post!" I am, in fact, a little proud of myself for doing that.
tsuj and I had an intense... discussion about the songs of folk artist Martin Sexton.She had not heard my favorite - Angeline - and I had not heard hers - Diner. We were unable to come to agreement. So now, my loyal readers, it is up to you. Which song is the best?
( Cut for embedded videos, because personally I hate when you can't figure out where that noise is coming from... )
One has crowd noise, the other has an unrelated TV show as the picture, so I think it evens out.
[Poll #1388167]
Clearly, I'm starting to need an icon for folk music. Anybody? Bueller?
ETA: Also clearly, I forgot to include an important poll option, "Gosh, LadyA, I'm so impressed you posted two embedded videos and a poll in one post!" I am, in fact, a little proud of myself for doing that.
I saw veek the other day and she kindly gave me leave to go through some boxes of things she was looking to give away. I took some CDs home with me. The best of these so far has been The Freedom Sessions by Sarah MacLachlan. veek explained the concept to me this way: "Someone decided that there ought to be acoustic versions of the stuff on 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,' so they just put this CD together. It's really awesome, and there's a multimedia thing too." Wow. It was so good I wanted to eat the CD. I haven't felt this way since the first time I listened to The New Bossa Nova a while back. "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" has always been my favorite MacLachlan, and this CD made me love it even more. It is jazzy and folksy and delicious. Give it a try, if you like her. The Minuteman Library system has four copies, if you're in this part of the world.
veek the other day and she kindly gave me leave to go through some boxes of things she was looking to give away. I took some CDs home with me. The best of these so far has been The Freedom Sessions by Sarah MacLachlan. veek explained the concept to me this way: "Someone decided that there ought to be acoustic versions of the stuff on 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,' so they just put this CD together. It's really awesome, and there's a multimedia thing too." Wow. It was so good I wanted to eat the CD. I haven't felt this way since the first time I listened to The New Bossa Nova a while back. "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" has always been my favorite MacLachlan, and this CD made me love it even more. It is jazzy and folksy and delicious. Give it a try, if you like her. The Minuteman Library system has four copies, if you're in this part of the world.by the way...
Feb. 25th, 2008 06:47 pmMy love affair with Brazilian music continues. I begin to feel that it may be excessive but I can't really make myself care. It's just so damned good!
New and notable (to me): Astrud Gilberto's Jazz Masters collection. (As a note to myself, my favorite tracks there are Dreamer, Girl from Impanema, Agua de Beber, and Look to the Rainbow.) I have two more CDs on order from swapacd.com, Bebel Gilberto (who is actually not Astrud's daughter, although it would have made sense if she was*) and Bossa Nova Brasil. I just keep listening to sample tracks for albums and getting really excited.
Other new (non-Brazilian) CDs I'm pleased about include Chillout Sessions from the Ministry of Sound (a really nice ambient compilation), Red, Hot, + Rhapsody (remixes of Gershwin tunes,mrpet found it for me), and Jazz Club Vocal (all vintage and awesome). I have also been working on a "hopeful" playlist, to cheer folks up - let me know if you would like the track list or for me to play it when you're around.
*She's actually the daughter of Astrud's ex-husband Joao Gilberto and his second wife who is another bossa nova singer, not that it's an incestuous community or anything.
New and notable (to me): Astrud Gilberto's Jazz Masters collection. (As a note to myself, my favorite tracks there are Dreamer, Girl from Impanema, Agua de Beber, and Look to the Rainbow.) I have two more CDs on order from swapacd.com, Bebel Gilberto (who is actually not Astrud's daughter, although it would have made sense if she was*) and Bossa Nova Brasil. I just keep listening to sample tracks for albums and getting really excited.
Other new (non-Brazilian) CDs I'm pleased about include Chillout Sessions from the Ministry of Sound (a really nice ambient compilation), Red, Hot, + Rhapsody (remixes of Gershwin tunes,
mrpet found it for me), and Jazz Club Vocal (all vintage and awesome). I have also been working on a "hopeful" playlist, to cheer folks up - let me know if you would like the track list or for me to play it when you're around.*She's actually the daughter of Astrud's ex-husband Joao Gilberto and his second wife who is another bossa nova singer, not that it's an incestuous community or anything.
zipper songs
Jan. 24th, 2008 07:38 pm(Two posts on music in one week! I know. What is the world coming to?)
So, I think zipper songs are neat. With zipper songs, you change one word in the verse to get a new verse - like the children's song Old MacDonald, for example. Another one some may be familiar with is "Raggedy, Raggedy" on the old folk album Precious Friends.
Anyway, today I encountered a new zipper song for the first time in many years, on the compilation "These Times We're Living In" by Red House Records. It's the final track on the album, and my favorite, hands down - "We All Need a Little More Kindness" by Guy Davis.
We all need more kindness in this world
We all need more kindness in this world
You may search high and low, but there's no place else to go
We all need more kindness in this world.
For each following verse, you put a different word in for kindness. The album includes verses for laughter, friendship, peacetimes, and sunshine. I came up with many additional verses while singing it to myself - the best were for magick, beauty, passion, teachers, patience, neighbors, and smiling.
What two-syllable non-material thing do you think we all need more of? Or, what's your favorite zipper song? I'm sure there are tons I don't know.
So, I think zipper songs are neat. With zipper songs, you change one word in the verse to get a new verse - like the children's song Old MacDonald, for example. Another one some may be familiar with is "Raggedy, Raggedy" on the old folk album Precious Friends.
Anyway, today I encountered a new zipper song for the first time in many years, on the compilation "These Times We're Living In" by Red House Records. It's the final track on the album, and my favorite, hands down - "We All Need a Little More Kindness" by Guy Davis.
We all need more kindness in this world
We all need more kindness in this world
You may search high and low, but there's no place else to go
We all need more kindness in this world.
For each following verse, you put a different word in for kindness. The album includes verses for laughter, friendship, peacetimes, and sunshine. I came up with many additional verses while singing it to myself - the best were for magick, beauty, passion, teachers, patience, neighbors, and smiling.
What two-syllable non-material thing do you think we all need more of? Or, what's your favorite zipper song? I'm sure there are tons I don't know.
Brazilian music
Jan. 18th, 2008 08:50 amETA: I should preface this by saying that I am NOT famous for listening to new music. I've had 90% of my CDs for at least ten years. Yeah, I know, it's kind of embarassing. But that's what makes me want to share this new development with you...
About six months ago, I was in a used CD store withmrpet. (As you might imagine, this happens a lot, since he's a DJ.) What was unusual about this time is that I found more CDs that I wanted than he did. The best of these turned out to be the Brazilian Lounge compilation from Putumayo. Why did I pick it up? I don't know. Something about the album cover attracted me strongly. One listen and I was in lurrv. More than that, I wanted more! I started requesting Brazilian music from the library.
This is my new favorite kind of music. So far, here are my favorite albums in the genre...
( Read more... )
About six months ago, I was in a used CD store with
mrpet. (As you might imagine, this happens a lot, since he's a DJ.) What was unusual about this time is that I found more CDs that I wanted than he did. The best of these turned out to be the Brazilian Lounge compilation from Putumayo. Why did I pick it up? I don't know. Something about the album cover attracted me strongly. One listen and I was in lurrv. More than that, I wanted more! I started requesting Brazilian music from the library.This is my new favorite kind of music. So far, here are my favorite albums in the genre...
( Read more... )
